Rayman 2: The Great Escape is the second major game in the Rayman series. It is the first sequel to the original Rayman game, and the series' first 3D game. Rayman 2 introduced many brand-new major characters, though it featured almost none from its predecessor. Rayman 2 was first released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64 and PC. It was followed by ports for the Sega Dreamcast and Sony PlayStation in 2000. Each version is different in its own way due to the specifications of each console.

Rayman 2: The Great Escape is often abbreviated as Rayman 2 or (to avoid confusion with the similarly named Rayman Revolution) R2. The Sony PlayStation version of Rayman 2 was later released as a PSOne Classic on the North American PlayStation Network, on December 18, 2008. On March 1, 2010 and March 25, 2011, two versions based on the Dreamcast incarnation of the game were released; one for the iOS devices, and a similar version for the Nintendo 3DS, under the title Rayman 3D. The PC version joined Rayman Forever on the digital distribution service Good Old Games on the 27th of May, 2011.

Rayman then returns to the Marshes of Awakening, where Jano now allows Rayman to enter the Spiral Door. Rayman is hypnotised by Jano and then transported to the Cave of Bad Dreams, and is challenged to find the treasures within before Jano can catch him. Jano eventually meets with Rayman as he nears the treasure trove and gives chase, leading Rayman into a large corridor where he must avoid Jano's attacks and use the skulls he emits to progress through. Eventually, he makes it to the treasure, where Jano congratulates Rayman, and offers it to him. The player is then given the choice to accept or decline Jano's offer, accepting will lead to a short cutscene depicting an overweight Rayman lounging on a small island, and an alleged "end" to the game. The cutscene ends by cutting back to the choice. Declining the offer will cause Rayman to be returned to the Marshes, and Jano will reward Rayman with the Elixir of Life for making the right choice and not succumbing to greed.

Rayman reunites with Globox from within the Canopy, which, true to its name, takes place within the higher levels of a deep forest. Rayman frees Globox from imprisonment by the Robo-Pirates operating within the area, and Globox aids Rayman in traversing through the area, using his rain-dance to destroy laser barriers or grow fauna that can aid Rayman in progressing. Globox also reveals that he received another Silver Lum, which gives Rayman the ability to charge his magic fist, greatly enhancing his offensive capabilities. After fighting past a Warship and tricking a Robo-Pirate into opening the exit by hiding within a bush, Rayman is able to leave the area. Globox remains behind, stating that his spouse, Uglette, wishes to see him.

The next level is Whale Bay, a watery location infested by Robo-Pirates and piranhas. The benevolent whale, Carmen, has been imprisoned in a laser cage by the pirates, who plan to use her blubber to oil the engines of the Buccaneer. Rayman frees her, and she releases air bubbles which allow him to accompany her underwater. Unfortunately the local piranhas want to steal the bubbles to ease their heartburn, so Rayman must frighten them off with his magic fist so that he can continue to breathe. Eventually Rayman completes his underwater passage and comes to the end of the level.

The next level is the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire, the second of the game's Sanctuaries. This is a long and labyrinthine level, filled with secret passages, wrong turns and optional areas, including an entire temple which has no discernible purpose. Rayman spends a great deal of time on plums, which can be used to cross the many lakes of lava. Eventually Rayman comes to a chamber containing a large blocky stone statue: this is Umber, the guardian of the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire. Unlike Axel, Umber is pacifistic; he allows Rayman to stand on his head while he walks across a pool of lava, taking Rayman to the final chamber. It is shaped much the same as the chamber in which Rayman found the first mask, with a raised platform on which sits a stone container. Rayman's symbol once again connects to the stone; it slides open, and the second mask emerges. Rayman takes it and once again is transported to Polokus's domain. The god congratulates Rayman, takes the mask, affixes it to his stone, and sends Rayman back to the Hall of Doors.

Making Progress

Now making his way to the third mask, Rayman arrives at the Echoing Caves, after activating four switches in a non-linear area, he enters the caves themselves. Due to the large amounts of toxic liquid within the caves, Rayman lights kegs, and uses them to fly across the caves to solid footing. Rayman may also encounter an entryway, leading him into a secret area within the Fairy Glade, where he can break a cage that cannot be broken by normal visit. Rayman returns and finally exits the Echoing Caves, with a Warship flying in the background, preluding the events of the next area.

Rayman next enters the Tomb of the Ancients, where a sign alerts the player to the capture of Clark and his imprisonment in the Technical Check-up, which is located within the area. The Tomb of the Ancients is notable for having secret passages, with one leading to the 1000th Yellow Lum, another allowing the player to skip through a large section of the level, and another that can only be legitimately accessed in the Dreamcast and Nintendo 3DS version of the game, nicknamed the Tomb of the Ancients secret. Once the player has reached the end of the level, it is revealed that the Robo-Pirates have been able to bring Clark under their control using a device implanted into his back. The Spyglass Pirate is shown demonstrating his control over Clark, before control is returned to the player, who must break the device. Once the device is broken, Clark lifts Rayman high enough to break the cage containing the Teensie to exit the level, and consequently exits the area.

The ending

A Salesman visits Razorbeard, and pitches the Grolgoth as the solution to the Pirate's problem with Rayman. After some consideration, Razorbeard accepts the Grolgoth, setting the circumstances for the final confrontation with Rayman. In the meantime, Rayman infiltrates the Prison Ship, the largest of the Pirate Vessels and fortress in its own right. Rayman initially finds himself sliding through floors and tunnels within the bowels of the ship, but is able to acquire a flying shell, which he uses to progress even further through the ships' interior chambers.

In most versions, excluding those based off the PC and Nintendo 64, a cutscene will play once the level is completed for the first time. It shows Rayman freeing the captives within the Prison Ship, who are then urged to leave, while Rayman makes his final approach to Razorbeard himself.

Rayman's friends assume that Rayman has fallen. Ly the Fairy, Clark, Murfy, the Grand Minimus, Globox, Polokus, Uglette and three baby Globoxes, all gather in Polokus's domain for a memorial service. They could only recover Rayman's left shoe, however, the shoe suddenly appears to react to an oncoming presence, as a limping, one-footed Rayman emerges from the woods nearby, much to the joy of everyone present. His shoe rejoins his body and he looks up at all his friends, last of all Ly, while hugging the baby Globoxes. Fireworks are launched in celebration, and a message is displayed congratulating Rayman on his feats. The harmony of the Glade of Dreams has been restored and the Heart of the World has been pieced back together. The game ends with the message, ‘Now rest, you may have to fight again. Who knows what tomorrow will bring...’, referencing the next game, Rayman 3. The end credits sequence shows Admiral Razorbeard's escape pod fleeing through the depths of space.

Early production

2D Game

Rayman 2 was first developed to be a 2D sidescrolling platform game similar to the original Rayman game, and was planned to be released on the Sony PlayStation and the Sega Saturn.[1] Screenshots, videos and interviews indicate that the game would still involve an invasion of robots from space. The game featured enemies similar to the Robo-Pirates, and it also featured background platforming - using a device similar to a shower head and a toilet flush, Rayman could teleport from the foreground to the background (and vice-versa). One video in particular also featured Betilla the Fairy, and showed her imprisoned in a cell.

This 2D game was cancelled in favour of the 3D version it became, though a playable prototype (version 01.12d) featuring one level is included in the PlayStation version of Rayman 2, and is unlocked if the player collects at least 720 Yellow Lums out of the version's total 800. It was discovered that this prototype was last worked on at May 31st, 1996 and was sent to the PlayStation RayMan 2 team so that they could incorporate one of its levels into their version of the game.

3D Game

A collage of Rayman 2 artwork and screenshots used as a reference for the artistic design of Rayman Origins.

Another representative Rayman 2 collage used as a reference for Rayman Origins.

Not much is currently known about the development of the 3D game that eventually became the final Rayman 2, however, from pre-release screenshots and footage, it is clear that level designs underwent significant evolution, and the HUD was at one point drastically different to the HUD seen in the final game. Recent texture hacking led to the discovery of more pre-release elements, textures for a third red coloured Magic Sphere and its pyramid base were located, it is unknown why these textures went unused and where the objects they represented were meant to be placed. Despite not being used in the game itself, they can be made to replace the other used colourations via texture hacking.

A lot of changes have also been seen in early trailer and interviews for the game. At one point Purple Lums were going to have a completely different design resembling the other Lums seen in the game.[2] A video showing an early version of the Nintendo 64 version reveals an unused area most likely located in the Prison Ship. It closely resembles the alternative path that can be taken in the same level to fill up Rayman's health.[3] Other trailers show more open levels suggesting Rayman 2 was at one point going to go in a more non-linear direction.[4]

Early renders and textures of Ssssam show him to have originally been metallic.

The same concept with off angle and readable text, click for translation.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Rayman 2 is similar to that of the original Rayman, translated into a 3D world. Most of the gameplay consists of running, jumping, climbing, gliding and flying between platforms and other surfaces, interspersed with battle sequences with Robo-Pirates and other enemies. A new element of gameplay is swimming, which is present in a few of the levels.

Contrary to the original game, this time Rayman starts with a few powers, such as helicoptering and a basic attack power, which is given to him by Globox who is introduced at the very beginning. Additional powers, some permanent and others temporary, are unlocked during the natural course of the game, similarly to the original Rayman.

The aim of the game is to defeat Admiral Razorbeard and his Robo-Pirates, and, by doing so, restore order to the world. Along the way, Rayman will locate and reassemble Yellow Lums that have been scattered following the explosion of the Primordial Core, and rescue creatures that have been imprisoned in cages. However, unlike in the original Rayman, Rayman 2 has no strict requirement to obtain all Yellow Lums/cages to finish the game, probably in order to make the game less difficult. A certain number of Yellow Lums is required to advance past specific points, but this number is typically substantially lower than the number of Yellow Lums available prior to that, and is easily obtainable during normal play. Some cages are also obligatory, as they contain creatures vital to completions of levels (typically, Teensies), and these cages are always in plain sight and impossible to miss.

Overall, far less backtracking and secret-hunting is required to complete the game, but the player is rewarded for breaking cages, as every 10 cages freed extend Rayman's life bar. Additionally, completing a level with all Yellow Lums and cages obtained gives access to a bonus level, where a baby Globox can help Rayman replenish his life bar or gain a Power Fist.

Replays

Once completed, a level can be replayed an unlimited number of times. Similarly to the original game, collectibles (Yellow Lums and cages) that have already been found do not reappear. Bosses, special characters and cutscenes are also usually skipped, making most levels much shorter, easier and emptier during replays. The baby Globoxbonus levels are still offered on subsequent level completions, so Rayman can always restore his powers.

Game records

Rayman 2 has two bonus levels which are present in all versions. The PlayStation version has significant differences made, and the peed is slightly different as well, and the PlayStation 2 version, Rayman Revolution, has the levels as part of unlockable minigames rather than bonuses, where the player has to collect all Red Lums.

Environment

A physical Rayman 2 map which came with various copies of the game.

Unlike the original Rayman, Rayman 2 is not divided into certain themed worlds, but rather a trail of 20 different locations, none of which are as surreal as its predecessor's, but are still dissimilar to the real world. The levels are played in a linear fashion in a world map known as the Hall of Doors (Isle of Doors in the Dreamcast version), with most levels following a single path (though the Cave of Bad Dreams, the Walk of Life, and the Walk of Power are on side-paths). The player is able to backtrack to past levels if he or she wishes, and can move on to the final stage without breaking all of the cages.

Levels

Only the PC, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast versions (including their derivatives like the DS/3DS and iOS ports) feature a consistent level set. The PlayStation version cuts down the number of levels and shortens existing ones, while the PlayStation 2 version expands existing levels and even adds new ones. This list does not include the Game Boy Color version, which is a completely separate game.

Version differences

Since its original release in 1999, Rayman 2 has received a bunch of ports to other consoles with each new port having some noticeable differences.

The Nintendo 64 cover (PAL).

Nintendo 64

The Nintendo 64 version, along with the PC version, is the original version of the game. The Nintendo 64 version features a different soundtrack in MIDI format, which was later reused in the Nintendo DS port. Several of the menu transactions are exclusive to this version.

The Windows PC cover.

Windows PC

The PC version retains the same level structure from the Nintendo 64 version with higher resolution graphics and a higher framerate.

Sega Dreamcast

The Sega Dreamcast version retains the high quality textures from the PC version, while slightly improving some. A new area has been added in the Woods of Light called Globox Village, where the player can access new minigames by collecting Globox Crystals. This is the first version of Rayman 2 to allow for widescreen and the only version where the aspect ratio can manually be changed. The Hall of Doors has been replaced by the Isle of Doors. Several more Robo-Pirates have been added as well as a new type which shoots bombs. This is also the first version to have the cutscene in the Prison Ship where Rayman frees the prisoners, which was cut from the original versions due to time constraints.

The Sony PlayStation version removed and changes a bunch of levels, while merging others, and reduced the total amount of Yellow Lums from 1000 to 800. Some levels do however have several new areas and some cutscenes have been changed as well. This is the first version to have full voice acting. Many graphical changes are present, most notably in the Hall of Doors. A new bonus level can be unlocked which lets the player try a stage from the 2D prototype. Instead of Lums being imprisoned in cages, there are now Ludivs, Greenbottles and Minisaurus.

This version was later re-released on the PlayStation Store for PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.

The Sony PlayStation 2 version, titled Rayman Revolution in Europe and Rayman 2 Revolution in North America, is the port with the most added content. New hub worlds have been added, replacing the Hall of Doors, levels have been expanded, most notably the Fairy Glade and the Echoing Caves, new cutscenes and dialogue are present, new bosses have been added, including a fourth guardian. New music has been added in the new areas and for Robo-Pirate battles and new upgrades and minigames can be obtained by collecting Yellow Lums and by freeing Familiar Spirits from cages. A lot of graphical improvements are present with a bunch of previously 2D assets having to been reworked into 3D models. This is also the second version to feature full voice-acting. The original Raymanian voices can however still be chosen with a bunch of new sounds added.

This version was later re-released on the PlayStation Store in North America for PlayStation 3.

The Nintendo DS version, titled Rayman DS, is a direct port of the Nintendo 64 version. The second screen can be used to control Rayman with a virtual analog stick and shows the game HUD while playing. This version has a bunch of bugs not present in the Nintendo 64 version.

The Apple iOS version is a direct port of the Dreamcast version, with the minigames as well as Globox Village being omitted. The Lift mini-game was however present in the free demo. This version has since been removed from the App Store and can no longer be obtained legally if it was not purchased before being removed.

The Nintendo 3DS version, titled Rayman 3D, is a direct port of the Dreamcast version, with, similarly to the Apple iOS version, the minigames as well as Globox Village removed. Several graphical and sound glitches are present as well as a game breaking bug preventing the player from obtaining the 1000th Yellow Lum as intended. A balanced difficulty curve has been added, having several obstacles being removed if the player misses too many Yellow Lums.

This version is downloadable from the Nintendo eShop in North America.

Rayman jumps from a tree and activates his helicopter for a soft landing in the middle of a thicket of bushes. "The Pirates are coming straight at us!", cries Rayman to his friend. "Get ready!"

The earth suddenly begins to tremble...Several trees collapse, creating a passageway for an army of robots.
The Battle begins! Rayman leaps into action, sending metal monsters flying with his powerful energy spheres. A little later, Globox, trembling with fright, desperately tries to make the robots rust up by creating little rain storms over their heads. A robot, creaking horribly, crashes to the ground. "Not bad, Globox!" shouts Rayman with a smile.
Globox tries to answer, but Rayman doesn't hear. The strained face of Ly has just appeared in his mind.
"Rayman...", begins Ly, in a weary voice., "The pirates have broken the Heart of the World. The energy has scattered. Other than Clark, all of our brave warriors have been captured..."

Shocked by this terrible news, Rayman is surprised by a gigantic robot who pins him between its powerful pinchers. He tries to create a new energy sphere in the palm of his hand, but to no avail. The destruction of the Primordial Core has
taken away all of his powers...
Desparate, he shouts to his friend... "They've got me, Globox! Save Yourself!"
"But...but...what about you?!"
"No time to explain! Go find Ly, she'll tell you what to do!"
After a moment of hesitation, Globox dodges between the feet of the robots, and plunges into the high grass.

An evil laugh reverberates. Rayman turns and sees Razorbeard, the leader of the Pirates.
"I have you, Rayman! You'll soon be my most obedient slave!..."

Rayman tries to free himself, but the iron grip of the robot tightens around him. He casts a dark look at Razorbeard and shouts defiantly : " It's not over yet, pirate! I'll find a way to escape and then I'll make you wish you'd never been born!"

—Manual, Rayman 2

Click on the thumbnails to read the manuals.

The English PC Manual packaged with the GoG.com and Uplay version

The English PC Manual packaged with the Steam version

The French PC Manual

The Swedish/Finnish PC Manual

The Spanish PC Manual

The Italian PC Manual

The German PC Manual

The Dutch PC Manual

The Danish/Norwegian PC Manual

The Polish PC Manual

Promotion

Ubisoft promoted Rayman 2 with many toys and even a cartoon. There were YoYos, cell phone covers, a PlayStation 2 remote, a version of the game with a figure, and Happy Meal toys.

Characters from each game made cameo appearances in the other game. In Tonic Trouble, Rayman can be seen during the game's end credits. In Rayman 2, a salesman who previously appeared in the intro sequence of the PC version of Tonic Trouble sells the Grolgoth to Razorbeard late in the game. Tonic Trouble was worked on (though not designed) by Michel Ancel, used the Rayman 2 engine, originally appeared on the same platforms as Rayman 2, and was also released by Ubisoft, giving reason for the crossovers, though Tonic Trouble had not fared well critically or commercially, whereas Rayman 2 became successful in both areas.

Royal V

Royal V's album "It's Good to be the King".

The musical group Royal V released an album with a bonus music dedicated to Rayman 2, under the name of "It's Good to be the King". The official videoclip[7] features unique footage of scrapped areas of the game.

Mobile spin-offs

Reception

Rayman 2: The Great Escape was released to critical acclaim. On Metacritic, the N64 version of the game received a score of 90%, signifying universal acclaim.[8] On GameRankings, the Dreamcast, Windows, N64 and PlayStation versions of the game were assigned scores of 92.71%, 91.27%, 88.83% and 87.23% respectively.[9]

The game has been included on several lists of the greatest games of all time. IGN rated it as the 67th-greatest game.

Platform gaming has long been known for jumping, bopping enemies, and collecting items. Rayman 2 broke no new grounds in these areas, but instead perfected them as no other game had before. Starring a character with no arms, legs or neck, Rayman 2 is a demonstration of what the modern platform game could be – smart, fast and challenging.

GameSpot staff member Ryan Davis wrote an article on the game for the site's 'Greatest Games of All Time' series.

The gameplay was great, but, truly, it was the presentation of Rayman 2 that brought the whole package together. This was a game created by artists, not technicians, and its use of crisp, clear, beautifully crafted textures over relatively simple 3D objects is a testament to that. This isn't to say that Rayman 2 wasn't technically impressive at the time, because its massive 3D environments proved it certainly was that, but the creators of Rayman 2 wanted to awe you with the surreal, vivid world they had created, instead of showing you some nifty technical tricks. The lush, slightly off-kilter musical score certainly helped perpetuate this dreamy reality, as did the nonsense languages that the inhabitants of The Great Escape spoke.

Rayman 2: The Great Escape is more than the sum of its parts, though its parts are admittedly a bit impressive on their own. Its European roots show through – as do Rayman creator/designer Michel Ancel's interests in Nordic and Celtic mysticism – and lend the affair a flavour that has not been replicated since. Simply put, you will not have another video game experience quite like Rayman 2: The Great Escape, which is why we chose it as one of the greatest games of all time.

For my money, 3D platforming reached its absolute apex in Rayman 2: The Great Escape. I played through The Great Escape on the PC. Then I played through Rayman 2: Revolution on the PlayStation 2. And each time my experience with Rayman 2 had been simply sublime. It's an amazingly well-crafted platformer, providing a variety of play that most modern platformers can't match. But what stays with me the most, over time, is the beautiful, surreal world that Rayman 2 takes place in. I've not had a 3D platforming experience that good, before or since.

Gallery

Trivia

In the German gaming magazine PC Player (issue 01/2000), Rayman 2: The Great Escape was named as "Best Platformer in 1999".

The Sony PlayStation European release of Rayman 2 originally came with a digital watch. In the North American release it originally came with a beach ball.

In the Japanese localisation of the game, some characters with purple in them were changed. Rayman's body was made blue, Ssssam the Watersnake turned into a kind of green, and Jano's hat was turned red. But the most bizarre change was made to Ly, whose body was changed from yellow/purple to white/pink.

The names of a few characters changed during design of the game: the original name of Globox was Globber, the original name of Razorbeard was Razorface, the original name of Polokus was Pollochus the Magician, the Teensies were originally named the Smalbeings, and the Robo-Pirates (called Red Rum before) were originally employed by a ‘mysterious guild’, which had decided to create an intergalactic zoo or circus featuring creatures from Rayman's world; remnants of this storyline can be found in Rayman: The Animated Series.

Tim Schafer revealed that Rayman 2 was a huge influence on his game Psychonauts.[12]